However, in a surprising twist, the second half was a big problem for the Eagles. They were the highest scoring second half team in the league through the first three games of the season, but the zero spot they put on the board this afternoon was unexpected for Philadelphia. On top of that, the Eagles' offense was downright pitiful. Their first play on offense past the 50 yard line didn't happen until the fourth quarter. Foles may have been there physically today in San Francisco, but he never made the trip mentally. He looked very lost out there, throwing two picks and struggling to get anything going. It's just one game and we've seen Foles struggle, only to bounce back the next game, but he really needs to bounce back next week. The lowly Rams provide the perfect confidence builder to get back on track.
The defense looked really solid today, however. The allowed 26 points, but were put in tough situations early and often and held Kaepernick in check for most of the game. They brought a great pass rush and forced the 49ers to run the ball a lot. Unfortunately, the 49ers capitalized on that and finished with 218 yards rushing on the day. The pass defense was much improved, but the run defense still has some strides to make going forward if the Eagles want to play deep into January.
A questionable holding call against Cary Williams in the fourth quarter should not have been called, but allowed the 49ers to score a touchdown later on. I don't like to put blame on the referees, but they looked lost out there today. Not only were there a few questionable calls, but they were inconsistent as well. They would call a phantom holding call on the Eagles, but would let hits on Eagles' receivers past the five yard line go by without even thinking of making the right call.
Overall, it was not a good showing for the Eagles, but the Niners have been a very tough opponent for everybody these last few years. It is one loss, so do not stress it too much, but improvements need to be made next week in order to win this division. The Cowboys and Redskins aren't much to worry about, but the Giants can cause some problems later in the season. They are only one game back now and Eli and his stupid face have looked solid these last few weeks. The Eagles still have two games left against the Giants and will need to capitalize on those two matchups.
Next Game: Sunday October 5th, 1pm vs. St Louis Rams
By: Dan Goggin
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